Tool for removing broken valve cores



Feb. 22, 1966 H. J. SANDERS 3,235,951

TOOL FOR REMOVING BROKEN VALVE GORES Filed April 5, 1963 INVEN TOR. zwcizm SANDERS United States Patent This invention relates to a tool for removing broken valve cores of the sort typically employed in pneumatic tubes or tubeless tires.

The valves normally used on tubes or tubeless tires comprises an elongated, cylindrical stem or shaft which is spring biased normally closed inside of a cylindrical, tapered housing having a threaded upper end which screws into the inside 0f the body of the cylindrical valve. The valve stem is the member which is depressed by the tip of the air hose to displace it so that air can be forced into the tube or tire. Sometimes this stem becomes out of alignment, worn or otherwise unserviceable and has to be removed or at other times it is important to remove this stem to properly exhaust the air from the tube or tire. The cylindrical housing for the stem has a pair of lugs on it to receive the top tip of the cap housing or other tool for unscrewing the core to remove it from the valve. However, it often happens that the core is so stuck or jammed in place because of dried, corrosive materials and other debris and chemicals, as to make it almost impossible to get sufficient leverage or twist on the small lugs which often break or become so worn that it is impossible to turn the core housing. When this happens it is virtually impossible to get the core out and often requires replacement of the entire valve or in the ease of a tube may result in permanent destruction of the tube. The present invention is a particular tool which may be inserted between the valve stem and the inside of the core housing in which the core operates and with a particular configuration to become jammed therein without damage to the valve so that the core can be removed. Even if the core is destroyed it is of small consequence to replace it with a new core.

Generally described, the present tool for removing a valve core is somewhat of a key-like configuration comprising a flat upper handle having a shaft or stem removing implement fixedly mounted thereon and extending therefrom. In transverse cross-section, the shaft is square or rectangular at the upper portion but is shaped to have a fiat or substantially flat side radiating from and extending to the sharp tip of the shaft forming in crosssection along that portion a substantially triangular configuration with the apex, or angular-side, of the shaft opposite from the fiat face or surface which is tapered to create substantially a thin bladed portion near the tip. In operation, the tool is inserted down into the valve core placing the tip of the tool inside the space between the valve core stem and its housing, displacing slightly the stem which is inherently movable to some extent and placing the apex or angular portion of the tool against the inside face of the housing in the space between the stem and the housing. Then the shaft of the tool is forced by hand as far as necessary to firmly jam it in place and then rotation of the top of the tool on the flat sided top member and the fingers of the hand will cause the tool to twist and unseat the housing and permit it to be completely unscrewed and removed.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a tool which may be inserted between the valve core and its housing to unscrew the core therefrom.

A further object of this invention resides in the particular configuration of the tool whereby there is a flat surface on one side of the tool and an angular portion on the other side of the tool whereby the fiat portion may Patented Feb. 22, 1966 be placed inside the valve core and the angular portion ammed between the valve core stern and the housing.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tool for removing broken valve cores in which there is a tapered blade having a flattened tip and a tapered portion which may be placed between the valve core stem and the core housing.

A further object of this invention resides in the econornical construction of the present tool which may be made from one :or more pieces of inexpensive material cast or readily formed into the desired shape.

Another object of the present invention resides in the arrangement of a tapered blade with means for engaging the inside wall of the core and also means for engaging the stem of the core.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical elevation view of one side of the tool illustrating the approximate position of the tool vertically to be inserted in the vertical bore of a valve.

FIG. 2 is a front end elevation view of the tool shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is aview looking into the tip of the tool shown in FIG. 1 which is the same View as looking upwardly in bottom plan.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along lines 44 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 55 in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cylindrical valve sleeve having the tip of the tool inserted therein.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along lines 77 in FIG. 6.

Referring initially to FIG. '1 and then on to the other several figures of the drawings, the tool is designated generally by reference number 12 and comprises a keylike construction having a top fiat member or finger strip 14 constructed from flat, substantially thin tool steel or the like with curved ends 16, 18. Member 14 is a handle.

Formed integrally with or connected to member 14 as by welding or braising, is the shaft or blade designated generally 20 and comprising an elongated portion that is substantially rectangular in cross-section in the area where the blade 20 connects to the member 14 at 22 but being flattened along the outer edge thereof to form a flat face or portion 24 tapering from portion 22 inwardly and down to the tip 26 of the shaft 20. Blade 24 is located diagonally of the cross-section of the blade 20 on a side opposite from the apex or angular edge 28.

As is seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, a conventional tubeless tire or tube valve 30 comprises an outer cylindrical sleeve 32 having an inner, screw-threaded bore in which is threaded the core or cylindrical stem carrying sleeve 34 which has an upper threaded portion 36 usually having a pair of lugs 38 thereon and being open in the top to receive the elongated shaft or stem 40 which is of elongated, cylindrical construction and which is spring biased by an internal spring (not shown) which normally keeps the valve closed to retain the air therein. As is well known and conventional in such valves, the stem 40 is displaced by pushing on the top against the spring to open the passageway inside of the sleeve 32 on down through the bottom 42 of the core into the inside of the tire or tube. When this core 34 becomes dirty, worn or stuck or otherwise inoperable, it becomes necessary to remove it and either to fix it or replace it, preferably replace it since the expense is not great. Usually the core has been removed a number of times previously and the small lugs 38 are either badly worn or broken oh and it is difiicult if not impossible after the sediment and corrosion has locked the stem 40 in the housing 36 and the housing 36 has become firmly jammed in the internal threads to remove it short of destruction of the entire valve itself.

However, by inserting the tip 26 of the present tool 12 down into the sleeve 32 and down into the space between the core sleeve 34 and the stem 40 so that the triangular or angular edge 28 abuts the inside face of the core sleeve 34 as shown in FIG. 7 and the flat face 24 rests against the outer periphery of the stem 40, it is possible with the flat member 14 held in the fingers toexert sufficient torque or twisting action in a counter-clockwise direction for removal, to unseat the core sleeve 34 breaking loose the engagement between threads 36 and the inner threads on sleeve 32 and then simply rotating the member 14 until the core 34 is loose enough to remove with the fingers.

One extremely advantageous feature of the present tool occurs when the triangular or angular or apex 28 is firmly seated against and jammed into the space in core 34 between stem 40 and the inside cylindnioal periphery of core 34 and firmly engaged by pushing the tip 26 and the blade 20 down into and jamming it inbetween the resiliently mounted stem 40 so that a large amount of torque may be exerted sufficient to break loose the corrosion, rust, dirt, chemical adhesion and other physical things which is holding the core in place.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention, together with a preferred shape and configuration, this is by way of illustration only and is not to be taken as the only form of my invention since various alterations, changes, deviations, modifications, ramifications and variations may be made in the embodiment shown without departing from the scope of'my invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a tool for removing valve cores in a valve which employs a valve housing generally of cylindrical shape and in which is mounted resiliently a valve stem which leads to and closes a passageway therebelow, and wherein there is a space inside the cylindrical valve housing between the inside thereof and the valve stem and which space generally tapers and reduces in cross-section toward the bottom thereof,

(a) a hand-1e member for said tool,

(b) an elongated valve. core removing blade extending substantially perpendicular to and outwardly from said handle member and being rigidly attached thereto,

(0) said blade having a pointed end opposite from the handle and tapering from a point intermediate the length thereof to the pointed end, whereby said blade may be inserted between the valve stem and the inside of a cylindrical housing and pushed downwardly into the tapered space,

(d) one side of said blade being fiat and forming a pyramidal shape that is triangular in cross-section through said blade, therebeing an angular edge on one side of said blade spaced from the fiat surface on the other side of said blade and therebeing edges on said blade along the sides of said flat surface, said flat face and said edge of said blade opposed thereto tapering toward the pointed end of said blade,

(e) the flat face of said blade being inserted against the valve stem and the angular edge opposed thereto being forced against the inside cylindrical surface of said valve housing, said entire blade being pushed down into said tapered space in said valve housing until said angular edge is jam-med against the inside cylindrical housing and flat face is jammed tightly against and pushing said resilient valve stem to one side of said valve housing thereby tightly and securely jamming and forcing said tool between said cylindrical valve housing and said valve stem which is to be removed, whereby said blade may be rotated with the blade handle to loosen said valve stem and to unscrew same for removal from the cylindrical housing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 777,568 12/1904 Terryberry 81-3 1,319,415 10/1919 Page 8171 X 1,604,032 10/1926 Ferrell 8171 2,346,364 4/ 1944 Dowe.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner, 

